Developer- and Publisher-specific Articles: Zen Studios

Zen Studios has announced the second of the four new tables from the upcoming Marvel Pinball: Vengeance and Virtue pack. Ghost Rider will be followed by none other than the X-Men this winter. The table will feature Iceman, Wolverine, Jean Gray, Colossus, and more as they battle Sentinels and the Brotherhood of Mutants’ Blob, Mystique, and Juggernaut.

Zen Studios will be adding Zen Pinball’s fantasy-themed Sorcerer’s Lair table to the Pinball FX2 platform for the 360. The Live Arcade release will launch on October 12 and feature new achievements, operators menu and rule sheet.

While 3DS owners might see the lack of a pinball game on their new handheld as an injustice, Zen Studios sees only an opportunity. The creator of the Pinball FX series, Marvel Pinball, and Zen Pinball is planning on satiating the cravings of pinball wizards everywhere this fall with the launch of Zen Pinball 3D for the 3DS.

Pinball FX2’s Ms. Splosion Man table, Zen Studios’ latest foray into licensed expansions, will be available on August 31 for 240 MS Points. The new table, exclusive to Live Arcade, will feature Twisted Pixel’s Ms. Splosion Man and the Mighty Eternal and integrate into the Pinball FX2 platform. PAX attendees will get a chance to try it out a week early at Twisted Pixel’s booth (#3003) and Microsoft’s booth (#432).

Zen Studios has launched a high score tournament for the Spider-Man table within the Marvel Pinball set for Pinball FX2. The top three scores will win a Marvel Digital Comics Subscription, a Spider-Man Bass Skyline tee from MightyFine, and 4,000 MS Points. The second and third place prize packs include a digital subscription, Spider-Man Bass Skyline tee, and 1,600 MS Points. Random players will also receive prizes throughout the tournament window, which runs from July 29 through August 12. To participate, simply complete a game of Spider-Man on Pinball FX2.

Zen Studios has announced the expansion of Marvel Pinball with a new version as well as a host of ports. For the 360 and PS3, the studio currently has Marvel Pinball: Vengeance and Virtue in development. The four-table pack will debut with Ghost Rider as the first hero out when the set hits Live and PSN this winter. And for those who have been itching to give Marvel Pinball a try but don’t have a 360 or PS3, good news! Zen plans on launching the title on Android and iOS devices, as well as the 3DS, PC, PS Vita, and WiiU by the end of 2012.

Does anyone else remember the Captain America and The Avengers beat ’em up from back in the early 1990s? If you do, then you get an extra treat with the latest announcement out of Zen Studios that the Captain America table is now available for Marvel Pinball on both Live Arcade and PSN. Oh, and the extra treat? “CAP-TAIN…A-MER-ICA!” stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

Bargain time! From now until June 28, PS Network users who purchase Marvel Pinball will receive Zen Pinball for free. Check out our reviews of Marvel Pinball and Zen Pinball’s Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 and Super Street Fighter II Turbo Tribute tables (not included with the base game, so feel free to snag later) to see why this deal is well worth your $9.99.

Zen Studios has been on a roll recently with their latest DLC tables for Pinball FX2 and Marvel Pinball. Following the recently released Fantastic Four addition, a new super-hero-themed table has been announced for Captain America. The good captain joins the ranks of Iron Man, Spider-Man, Blade, and other Marvel heroes in their quest for pinball justice. The table is said to be inspired by Ed Brubaker’s Captain America 65th Anniversary Special with Captain America, Bucky, and the Howling Commandos assaulting Baron Zemo’s castle. The assault will involve rescuing imprisoned comrades, taking down the Sleeper, and eventually taking the Cosmic Cube from the Red Skull himself. Captain America will launch on June 28 on the PS Network and June 29 on Live Arcade.